The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-24
AMERICAN T0YMAKERS.
GOTHAM THE DISTRIBUTING POINT
OF THEIR WARES.

titles to India Goods for AtrlCs
Painted in Red Colors-Roller Skate:
in Great Demand-Fashions in Chill
dren's Amuseme Uptown
Movement ir New York's Retail
Trade.
NEW York, April 23.-The European toy
maker is being rapidly supplanted by the
American manufacturer. New York has
become the great distributing point for toys,
but the ingenious Yankees of Connecticut
make most of them. New York children,
too, buy more expensive playthings than
those of any other city, but Philadelphia's
juveniles use more in proportion TO tie
population. The head of a large wholeS ale
house for the sale of children's goods states
that last week he shipped 800 gross of
toy pistols to Bombay for sale among the
children of India. A large con
signment of playthings was sent the week
previous to South Africa Toy pistols and
tin horses hitched to red wagons are the
favorite articles with the South Africans
Some of these toys go to the children, and,
occasionally, when one chief wants TO pro
pitiate another, he sends All advance guard
to palaver with the person, to whom they
make such presents as half a dozen 10-cent
toy revolvers, Il few tin dogs and cats and a
base ball mask All goods for the African
trade must be painted III gay colors.
The number of patents covering mechani-
cal toys is very large. The horse that trots
around the table with red wagon and
driver whipping him at every jump is COW
cred with three patents that yield remuner-
alive royalties AT present a large percent
age of the business is in toy pistols for the
Fourth of July. In fact, the pistol is the
ti,ala Af bo lan Ill ir,a
firearm that shot a blank cartridge
has been driven out of the market
by pistol or self-cocling revolver that
shoots paper cap. Brass cannons made
with as great care to provide gainst flaws as
piece of war ordnance sell at from 81 to
Sit each, and mortafS that shoot a wooden
ball high in the air with loud report are
among the novelties Base ball goods for
boys are now made by automatic machinery,
and mask, which formerly cost a lad i5c.,
can lie bought for 23c. Curious mechanical
toys of figures going through the motion of
playing base ball. and a negro fighting an
1rishman, sell at from So to So, and a new
one representing a drunken man trying to
unlock his front door with a latch key, while
his wife stands at an upper window and
angrily wags her jaw, is sold largely
for saloons If a boy is rich enough
to spend from $40 to $50 he can get a SPLEEN
did locomotive that runs by steam on a cir
cular track for an hour and half. II
has tubular boiler; the heat is engendered
by an alcohol lamp with half dozen wickS,
and q too heavy head of steam is relieved
by q safety-valve The most novel piece OF
rolling stock now sold is a locomotive that
runs by clockwork around a table. Sud
denly little bomb inside is burst springs
! fly out and the engine is knocked to pieces.
The exploding locomotive is almost equaled
in the boys estimation by one that smokes
q cigarette in its stack and putts out the
smoke as it runs.
A great many people make a living by
manufacturing toys in New York. A score
OF italians maze piu-wheels of gay colors
which they sell on the streets at &c
apiece. Their best patrons are the rich
youngsters who promenade Fifth avenue
The most artistically made playthings sold
in the city are miniature yachts manufac-
tured by modellnaker on One Hundred
and Tenth street. He makes n full-rigged
little craft OF approved models, correct in
all their details and warranted to sail a.
well as full-size1 yacht. Boys who have so
to $50 to spend on such plaything patron
ize the model ma er.
The toy dealers declare that they are now
selling to children almost as many roller
skates as adults purchased when the late
lamented rink mania was so prevalent.
They are for street use, and the best patrons
are the children OF Washington where the
sihoobh asphalt paVenents make skating
very delightful. NO toboggan shde fur
nlshes more nun IMAM Is enjoyed by the boys
on roller skater VINO ghde down the gentle
grade OF the walks from the west side of
the capitol to FennsylVama avenue, a dis
lance OF nearly a quarter OF mlle.
The Children OF New DIRK are subserVient
70 fashion IN their amusements. The style
- different in various localities. The boys
~ one section OF the city are at present de
3oted TO tops, while those of another region
We wholly given up to stills. The gam
s. down town find recreation in pitching
nnies as a winter and spring amusement
hd marbles as "A summer diversi IN. Several
0ctories make u specially of chi!drens tri-
cycles, but their patrons are mainly the
Nell-to-do youngsters whose parents reside
IN the less crowded sections or IN the su-
burban towns Washington children Use
more tIicycles than those of any other place.
In fact, Washington is che child's Eden, and
at present every boy of that city envies The
messenger boys OF one telegraph company,
who have been provided with feet little
ponies to carry them about in delivering
messages.
The children OF German immigrants who
tholic Teutons method of quiet enjoyment.
They will amuse themselves Tor hours by
throwing Il piece of metal against the wall
Of the garden to see how far it will rebound.
The few Chinese boys on Mott and Pcll
streets are seldom allowed to DlaV on the